In large-format works, Kara combines photographic material with paintings that refer to patterns from traditional knotted or woven tapestries

MELIKE KARA. SHALLOW LAKES

February 15 – May 12, 2024

Melike Kara (b. 1985) creates spaces for remembrance. Starting from her examination of her family roots, her installations raise questions regarding identity, migration, and visibility. Taking as a basis her archive of photographs from various private sources, which has been growing continuously since 2014, the artist studies the visual culture of the Kurdish diaspora. Kara has developed a location-specific, extensive work for the Rotunda of the SCHIRN. In large-format works she combines photographic material with paintings that refer to patterns from traditional knotted or woven tapestries. Her artistic process uses bleach, and the associated process of abstraction also creates an examination of change and blank spaces within a specific cultural narrative. Sculptural elements recalling pavilions and pools refer to the architecture of the Rotunda, which is accessible to the general public.

Melike Kara, bakhtiar, 2023, Acryl und Ölstift auf Leinwand, 200 x 180 cm, Foto: Mareike Tocha, © Studio Kara
Supported by 

SCHIRN ZEITGENOSSEN

With additional support by 

Dr. Hans Feith und Dr. Elisabeth Feith-Stiftung